Inertial reference frame

From Glossary of Meteorology



inertial reference frame

Within Newtonian mechanics, a reference frame relative to which every point mass not subjected to a net force is unaccelerated.

Within relativistic mechanics, a reference frame is inertial in a (local) region of space and time if every point mass in this region remains in uniform motion. According to the principle of relativity, all the laws of physics have the same form (and contain the same numerical constants) when expressed relative to any inertial reference frame.

Taylor, E. F. and J. A. Wheeler 1966. Spacetime Physics. 9–12.


Copyright 2024 American Meteorological Society (AMS). For permission to reuse any portion of this work, please contact permissions@ametsoc.org. Any use of material in this work that is determined to be “fair use” under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act (17 U.S. Code § 107) or that satisfies the conditions specified in Section 108 of the U.S.Copyright Act (17 USC § 108) does not require AMS’s permission. Republication, systematic reproduction, posting in electronic form, such as on a website or in a searchable database, or other uses of this material, except as exempted by the above statement, require written permission or a license from AMS. Additional details are provided in the AMS Copyright Policy statement.